Florian Wirtz captained Germany for the first time as the side drew 0-0 with Greece in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday. The Liverpool playmaker was initially planned for only Germany’s final two games of the international window, but injuries across the squad forced Jürgen Klopp to call on him for three of four matches instead.
The 23-year-old earned his 48th cap in Thessaloniki, and German media consensus suggested he started brightly but faded after half-time. Focus rated him a 3 on their scale (1 best, 6 worst), praising his defensive work whilst noting he became less influential. Sport1’s Stefan Kumberger wrote that Wirtz ‘truly led by example’ and was heavily involved in Germany’s attacking play early on, though his overall performance drew an ‘inconsistent’ rating.
Wirtz has faced criticism from pundits including Jamie Carragher for his early-season displays at club level. Klopp’s decision to hand him the captaincy of one of world football’s most pressurised national sides suggests the former Liverpool manager retains faith in the playmaker’s quality, despite the scrutiny.
Wirtz has a week to recover before Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield next Sunday, the first of nine games in 29 days for the Reds.
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